Introduction

NEWater Visitor Centre Entrance

NEWater started development in 1988 by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). It was developed to supplement Singapore’s water supply. NEWater is actually treated used water that has undergone purification and treatment process microfiltration and reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light. NEWater can be used to mix with reservoir water then undergo conventional water treatment to produce drinking.

In 2001, PUB made plans to obtain non-portable water from unconventional sources. The use of NEWater for wafer fabrication processes, non-potable applications in manufacturing processes as well as air-con cooling towers in commercial buildings would free large amount of potable water for other potable purposes.

There are NEWater Factories at Bedok and Kranji Water Reclamation Plants. Following NEWater has been supplied to wafer fabrication plants at Woodlands and Tampines/Pasir Ris and other industries for non-potable use in February 2003.

The indirect portable use of NEWater has started in Sep 2002. NEWater is mixed with raw water in the reservoirs before undergoing treatment at the waterworks for supply to the public for potable use. PUB has introduced NEWater to the proportion of 1% of total daily water consumption into our raw water reservoirs. The amount will be increased to 2.5% by 2011.

The Safety of Consuming NEWater

NEWater is produced after treated used water has been further purified using advanced membrane technologies like Microfiltration, Reverse Osmosis, and the disinfection of the product water using ultraviolet light. This treatment process has enabled the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to produce good quality NEWater at the Bedok NEWater Factory.

The Development of NEWater So Far

PUB's NEWater initiatives which began in 2001 to increase water supply from unconventional sources has produced good outcomes. Substitution of PUB water with NEWater for non-potable use would free large amount of potable water for other potable purposes. Besides wafer fabrication processes, NEWater can also be used for non-potable applications in manufacturing processes and other industries as well as air-con cooling towers in commercial buildings.

The NEWater Factories at Bedok and Kranji Water Reclamation Plants was commissioned at the end of 2002. Following that since February 2003, NEWater has been supplied to wafer fabrication plants at Woodlands and Tampines/Pasir Ris and other industries for non-potable use. In Jan 2004, another milestone in the NEWater initiative was accomplished with the commissioning of the third NEWater Factory at Seletar Water Reclamation Plant which began supplying NEWater to the wafer fabrication plants at Ang Mo Kio. The total capacity of the three NEWater factories is 92,000 m3/day.

The development of NEWater Factories is well on track to meeting the goal of increasing the non-potable use of NEWater to at least 15% of Singapore's water demand. More NEWater Factories are in the pipeline in the near future.

NEWater could also be used for indirect potable use by blending with reservoir water. This is nothing new. Several cities in the United States have mixed reclaimed water with reservoir water to supply households. Some of these places include Orange County, outside Los Angeles, Phoenix, Arizona and Fairfax County, north Virginia. In fact, many cities along major rivers in the world like River Rhine, Mississippi River, Yangtze River and Mekong River have also been practicing unplanned indirect potable use of reclaimed water, with upstream water users discharging treated used water into a water source that serves as a water supply for a downstream user. NEWater is also of drinking water standard.

A water purification process

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) has received a report from the Panel of Experts studying the suitability of NEWater as a source of water to supplement our water supply. The Panel of Experts concluded that NEWater is consistently of high quality and well within the requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards, and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Drinking Water Guidelines. The Panel has endorsed NEWater as a safe and sustainable source of water and has supported its indirect potable use in Singapore through storing and mixing with the water in our reservoirs.

PUB has completed its evaluation of the Expert Panel's report and accepted the proposal to use NEWater for indirect potable use. This means mixing NEWater with raw water in the reservoirs before undergoing conventional treatment at the waterworks for supply to the public for potable use. PUB has introduced 1% of total daily water consumption into our reservoirs. The amount will be increased progressively to about 2.5% of total daily water consumption by 2011.

The Future of NEWater

NEWater is mixed with raw water in the reservoirs before undergoing treatment at the waterworks for supply to the public for potable use. PUB has introduced NEWater to the proportion of 1% of total daily water consumption into our raw water reservoirs. The amount will be increased to 2.5% by 2011.The development of NEWater Factories is well on track to meeting the goal of increasing the non-potable use of NEWater to at least 15% of Singapore's water demand by the year 2010. This is done so as to allow the public to get used to it. More NEWater Factories are in the pipeline. Overall, the production of NEWater will lead our country to be self-reliant on its water supply unlike now when we have to depend on importing fresh water from Malaysia. This will be a much more economical method to obtain water in the long run as we are not subjected to price changes in water and also safe from any forms of sabotage to cut off our water supply at our water pipes overseas. Also, if we continue relying on importing water, if the country we import water from is experiencing drought or any other forms of disaster, we will be affected as well. Because of these vulnerabilities we experience from importing water, we will be relieved of such problems in the near future with NEWater.